Information you need to know for your trip to Iceland.
Purchase Travel Insurance
It is very important to purchase travel insurance for your trip. Weather is extremely unpredictable on an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and your plans can become disrupted. It is also especially important to make sure you have medical coverage while in the country. Our preferred Travel Insurance Provider is Travel Guard.
Click here to get your quote and purchase a policy from Travel Guard
Parking in Iceland
In Reykjavik and some other national parks and attractions you might need to pay for parking. Downloading one of the parking apps that service Reykjavik and areas in Iceland will be very helpful. This also helps for scheduling parking over the weekend. You can use it for street parking and downtown parking garages. There is no point in getting a ticket that the Car Rental Company will charge you for and add on a service fee.
Parking Apps for Reykjavik and Iceland
Parking for Thingvellir National Park (The Golden Circle)
The weather in Iceland is Unpredictable
The best way to monitor the weather and get forecasts is through the Icelandic Met Office. Trying to predict accurate weather more than a couple days out is very difficult. Checking often is best practice. The Met Office has a color coded system for alerts that indicate severe and serious weather that can be dangerous. Keep a lookout for them. If it is above a Yellow alert, you 100% should not be travelling.
The Aurora Borealis/The Northern Lights
From September to March it is the Northern Lights Season in Iceland. You can use these links to monitor the KP and cloud cover forecasts. Remember, you need darkness, low light pollution, clear skies, solar activity and some luck to be able to see them. Your best shot at seeing them is to go out part of a small group with an expert guide. You can use the link below to book our most highly recommended Northern Lights Tour from Reykjavik.
Icelandic Met Office Aurora Forecast
The Elite Small Group Northern Lights Tour From Reykjavik
Road Safety
Always check road.is before heading out. It has a wealth of information and most importantly any hazards you could encounter on the trip. The legend is easy to learn and understand. You can also take a look at webcams to see live conditions on the road.
Where to seek information? The web pages of IRCA, www.vegagerdin.is and www.road.is present overview maps showing road conditions and the current situation for all main roads at a given point. The pages also provide information about the weather and the local traffic and show real-time Webcam images of road conditions.
Information on the weather and road conditions are also provided by the automatic answering service by dialling 1778. Note: this and other IRCA information telephone numbers are four-digit numbers.
IRCA telephone number, 1777, can be reached from 06:30 to 22:00 every day from October 15 to April 30 and at other times from 08:00 to 16.00 on weekdays. The cost of calling 1777 and 1778 is the same as for calling any general number in Iceland.
During the winter, cars must be fitted with good winter tires. Take along appropriate protective clothing in case you have to wait in the car due to weather or road conditions. Take time to read the brochure - How To Drive In Iceland. Register your trip plans and download the Safe Travel App. You can also sign up for safety alerts that will be pushed to your phone.
In an emergency, when police, ambulance or a rescue squad is needed, contact the National Emergency Number 112
How to Drive in Iceland
Register Your Trip Plans - Download Safe Travel App
Filling up your Rental Car With Gas
A cardinal rule in Iceland to follow is never let your gas tank go below half full. Gas stations can be few and far between and it is best practice to always have a minimum half tank.
N1 Gas stations are prolific throughout Iceland. The only downside is that at the pump they require a pin code to purchase gas on all credit cards. Most credit cards from the US do not have pin codes so you would need to go inside the gas station, if they are open, and purchase a prepaid gas card.
OB, Olis and Orkan Gas stations accept credit cards at the pump with no pin so you would not have those issues.
Some Gas Stations do not require payment in advance so you pump and fill and then head inside to pay when you are done. So, if your card is not being accepted, it could be because you just need to start pumping gas. :-)
Your Electrical Device
In Iceland the standard voltage is 230 V and the frequency is 50 Hz. You can use your electric appliances in Iceland, if the standard voltage in your country is in between 220 - 240 V (as is in the UK, Europe, Australia and most of Asia and Africa). Manufacturers take these small deviations into account. If the standard voltage in your country is in the range of 100 V - 127 V (as is in the US, Canada and most South American countries), you need a voltage converter in Iceland. You can find voltage converters at Amazon
How to Pay in Iceland
You can use your credit and debit cards everywhere in Iceland. Most establishments accept mobile payments as well. Not accepting American Express is a common issue you might run into so it is highly recommended to make sure you have a Visa or Mastercard with you as those are widely accepted. If you would like cash, you can exchange foreign currency for Icelandic Krona (ISK) at any bank.
Buying Food in Iceland
Netto, Kronan and Bonus are supermarkets that you will find all over Iceland. Hagkaup has several locations as well and is more upscale. You will find more US and international products there. These are all great spots to buy fruits, vegetables, and food items.
If you keep kosher, reference the Kosher List from Chabad to find out what is certified kosher.
Microwaves
The overwhelming majority of hotel rooms in Iceland do not have microwaves. Hotels are forbidden by Icelandic law to heat up guests' food that were brought in from outside.
Customs and Bringing Food into Iceland
You are allowed to bring in a certain amount of food with you into Iceland. For more information please visit the Directorate of Customs.
What to Wear?
The short answer is to pack layers and wear things you can add on and take off as needed. You could easily need warm clothes, hats and gloves during the summer months.
- Warm base layers made from merino wool are your best friend.
- Waterproof hiking shoes or hiking boots with ankle support and good traction are essential.
- Warm socks, merino wool are best during the winter. (Always good to have them in the summer as well)
- Waterproof pants are great, you don't need anything fancy.
- Hoodies and warm jackets.
- Warm winter hat and gloves (Bring with you even during the summer)
- Waterproof layer.
- Crampons during the winter. (You can pick them up in most gas stations)